The changing race policies in U.S. higher education

Posted: Friday, October 01, 1999

* University of California system: Voluntarily abolished race, ethnic and gender preferences in college admissions in 1995; their new admissions system avoids an over-emphasis on standardized tests, which historically produce lower scores among black students than other groups, a fact which some argue is caused by racial biases in the tests. New California entrance factors also weigh the effectiveness of the instruction an applicant received in high school and takes into account special high school projects.

* University of Virginia: The schools governing board warned this month that the school needs to stop using race as a factor in student admissions. UVA administrators have not yet said if they will stop using race.

* Washington: A ban by ballot measure on race and gender preferences went into effect in December 1998 for the states public colleges and government agencies.

n University of Michigan: Has spent more than $3.3 million defending its race preferences in admissions from two lawsuits alleging reverse discrimination against applicants. The suits are headed to trial in federal district court soon and could force a precedent-setting decision.

* North Carolina: Since a 1981 compromise between the University of North Carolina system and a federal district court, the state has been successfully developing a system which encourages white applicants at the states predominantly black institutions and opens mostly white schools to more black students.

* State of Texas: A 1997 law requires a color-blind process in which public universities in Texas admit the top 10 percent of seniors from every Texas high school.